The panel, led by Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) additional secretary Manoj Dwivedi, is set to delve into how Khedkar obtained the documents supporting her disability and OBC status. IAS Puja Khedkar : Expected to be fired, face criminal charges for a fictitious disability, and be subject to caste allegations.
Puja Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer, is embroiled in a dispute regarding the veracity of her claims of disability and OBC status, which allowed her to be hired into the civil service. A one-man panel appointed by the Centre is currently looking into the case; if Khedkar is found guilty of falsifying information or suppressing facts, he may face harsh penalties.
The panel, led by Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) additional secretary Manoj Dwivedi, is set to delve into how Khedkar obtained the documents supporting her disability and OBC status.
Verifying whether appropriate vetting was carried out by the issuing authority and looking into her nonattendance of required medical tests at AIIMS Delhi to confirm her disability, even though she was classified as a “Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD)” for her IAS appointment, are important areas of focus.
Given Khedkar’s appointment to the Maharashtra cadre, insider sources in the government disclosed that the panel will submit its conclusions to the DoPT, which will subsequently forward the report and recommendations to the Maharashtra government. She runs the risk of being fired by the state government and facing criminal charges for deception and forgery if it is determined that she was guilty of falsifying her OBC and disability documents.
The social justice ministry may be involved in order for the DoPT panel to determine whether Khedkar’s OBC status is accurate. Despite her claims of belonging to an economically weaker category, discrepancies arose when her father, a former bureaucrat and recent Lok Sabha election candidate, disclosed assets exceeding Rs 40 crore, including properties valued in crores registered under Khedkar’s name.
In addition, the panel intends to work with specialists from AIIMS Delhi to assess if Khedkar’s claimed visual and mental impairments satisfy the requirements for government jobs. This was reported by Times of India.
A high-ranking government official pointed out that this is not an isolated case, citing yearly examples of applicants filing false disability claims in order to be considered for the PwBD category. According to the TOI, these people usually evade the required AIIMS medical examination and contest the procedure in the Central Administrative Tribunal. However, when they fail the test, they are unable to get appointed.
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